Gambling in Japan 日本の賭博

A controversial story

Since 1907, gambling has been banned in Japan. Often associated with the underworld, these activities are severely sanctioned by the government: 500,000 yen fine ($4350/3925€) and 3 years in prison for anyone who dares to re-offend!

However, few people would be subject to the wrath of justice. And although the authorities are still hunting down illegal gambling, much gambling is tolerated on the archipelago. From the lottery which is even encouraged by the government, to the pachinko centers whose managers have managed to circumvent the law, certain games are very popular with the Japanese and are an integral part of the local landscape.

''Legal'' games

Although it is officially forbidden to get rich through such activities, the following games are considered legal and enjoy high popularity.

• pachinko

Quite similar to our good old slot machines, pachinko is the source of a flourishing business in Japan. With more than 20 trillion yen in annual revenue ($171 million/155€ million), they appear to be one of the most profitable activities in the leisure industry.

Today, the archipelago would have more than 2 million pachinkos. And one in four Japanese would play it occasionally.

Popularized in Nagoya in pre-war Japan, pachinko is a machine in the form of a pinball machine that is played with chips. Although in reality, you can only earn candy or stuffed animals, it is possible to win money.

The material winnings are then exchanged for plaques, which will themselves be exchanged for tickets outside the pachinko in a ''exchange office'' located not far from the gaming center... completely ''legally''.

It should be noted, however, that 90% of the pachinko are managed by the members of the Korean Zannichi community. 

See also: Pachinko

• The Pusher Game

''pusher game'', the Pusher Game is a coin-pushing game whose goal is to make small objects fall using coins. As with pachinko, the items can then be exchanged for money.

• The Keiba Game

The Keiba Game designates a horse racing simulator. You insert your chips into the machine, you bet on a horse, and the machine generates a virtual race after which you can win money.

Unlike pachinko or the Pusher Game, the Keiba Game does not have a storefront. And it is by word of mouth that we know the location of the gaming rooms.

To read: The horse in Japan

Since you can't wager money, you charge for entries. "Cocktail packages", "Buffet Pass" and other very expensive customer services, the participation fees are used to reward the winners at the end of the evening.

And for those who can't resist the call to win, know that you can also exchange the gifts won during the games for money when leaving the gaming rooms.

Laloterie, the government's favorite game

Unlike previous gambling, the lottery is officially allowed in Japan.

Called Takarakuji, it has existed on the archipelago since the 17th century and has been the subject of numerous laws.

Prohibited in the middle of the 18th century , it was exceptionally authorized in 1937 and after the Second World War to replenish the state coffers. It will then be necessary to wait until the 1990s for it to become officially legal in Japan, with sports betting and scratch tickets .

Today, lottery is commonplace in the Land of the Rising Sun. There are several a month and we even organize a few " big games"   during the year the winnings can reach several billion yen .

These large cash inflows are the main reason why the lottery is accepted in Japan. Indeed, a large part of the money raised by the purchase of tickets goes to the cash desks of the city or the prefecture where the gaming offices are located. In the end, only 50% of the big winnings would be returned to the winners.

The tickets are generally bought at the ''ticket terminals'' of the konbini or in the gaming offices specific for this purpose.

Established almost everywhere in the big cities, gaming offices take the form of small kiosks, where lottery tickets and scratch games are sold legally. It is also the place where sports bets are made, where results are viewed, and where winnings are collected.

Some of the most popular lotteries in Japan include:

• Numbers 3 and Numbers 4

For 200 yen ($1.75/1.60€), we choose 4 digits between 1 and 9.

Although in these two lotteries it is necessary to have all the numbers in order (or out of order) to win the kitty, certain combinations can also bring in money: having the first 2 or the last 2 digits coming out at Numbers 3 and having the first 3 or last 3 winning digits in the case of Numbers 4.

The maximum gain here is 12,000 yen ($105/94.50€).

• Mini Lotto

MiniLoto is a weekly lottery that has existed since 1999. A Mini Lotto ticket also costs 200 yen and consists of 6 lines in which you choose 5 numbers between 1 and 31, as well as a bonus number. The winnings are smaller than those of Loto 6 and Loto 7 since they do not exceed 150,000 yen ($1.3 million/1.2€ million).

• Jumbo Lotery

Numbering four a year, the Jumbo Lottery are giant lotteries that bring together many players throughout the country. The ticket costs only 300 yen ($2.5 million/2.3€ million) and the potential winnings can reach several trillions of yen.

The principle is similar to the previous lotteries since the ticket consists of 7 lines in which you choose 6 numbers between 1 and 9, as well as an additional number between 1 and 68.

They are traditionally held in March, June, August, and December.

• NenmatsuJumbo Takarakuji

The Nenmatsu Jumbo Takarakuji is the traditional Japanese New Year's lottery. Similar in all respects to the Jumbo Lottery, it is the biggest lottery in Japan in terms of winnings and participation.

And the casinos?

Long banned in Japan, casinos were finally authorized on the archipelago in 2016. With former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's desire to open the first gaming halls for the 2020 Olympic Games, Japan will soon see the birth of its first casinos. As to who from Tokyo or Osaka will win, that's another story.